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Saturday, 28 November 2015

#WIPMarathon November Update

Current report wordcount: I finished my draft at 72K. This one went much better than the last one, luckily! I also checked over my outlines for the second and third books.

I also wrote around 50K total on other projects. (I'm doing that thing again where I write out of order, so I might not end up keeping all the chapter fragments I have.)

Collision was published on the 17th.

WIP issues this month: Juggling. My brain wanted to write three books at once and refused to take no for an answer.

Four things I learned this month in writing:

I'm quicker at drafting when I'm not editing another project. Juggling feedback and comments slows me down like nothing else. (And I'm so glad I quit using Goodreads as an author.)

Creative mood cycles are a nuisance. I had one week where the words were flowing, followed by two weeks where writing ten words was like pulling fingernails off. I'm trying to work on saving the difficult parts for days when my brain's actually functioning, to take the pressure off the rest of the time...

Sometimes I write out of order, and it can actually end up being faster. I'm more excited to write if I know what's coming next, and whenever I plan in detail, I end up accidentally writing bits of it ahead of time. (I probably can't get away with calling it accidental any more... :P)

Insecurity never goes away. >_<

What distracted me this month when writing:

Insecurity. Mostly publishing-related. Creative Brain and Business Brain have been fighting again.

It doesn't really help that it's rained non-stop for a month and I've forgotten what the sun looks like. My lightbox is saving my sanity!

So... I have eight books scheduled for release next year. They're all written, and most are edited. I'm prepared for the release schedule. But emotionally? Uh, yeahhh. *hides under carpet*

Publishing is isolating, because you're constantly aware that people are watching. Reading your words. Declaring their opinions on your books for the world to hear. Going through it once is tough. Five times in a year, and I'm burning out spectacularly. Eight times next year? Well, I'm travelling around New Zealand in February and I'm kind of tempted to stay there so I can write in peace...

So I'm a little distracted with travel plans, anyway! (The last time I went adventuring was when I travelled around Costa Rica in 2012. o.O) Ever since I graduated from university and my first book was published, it's felt like I haven't had a minute to spare. It's been a trying year, and it kind of hit home recently that I was putting off a lot of things for no good reason. Travel being one of them. So I booked the trip, even though I'm sure my inbox will do its best to thwart my plans.

4 comments:

8 books in one year is a lot, but your books are amazing so I wouldn't worry. I'm SO excited for INDESTRUCTIBLE and the rest of the Alliance series books. ESPECIALLY the Alliance Series books. And you're going to have so much fun in February that the inbox is going to not be an issue, I promise. You deserve that trip! If you need help with *anything* and I can help you, please let me know!

Good work with the words this month despite all the obstacles. I know you'll hit your goal next month, too. Woot!

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About Me

Emma spent her childhood creating imaginary worlds to compensate for a disappointingly average reality, so it was probably inevitable that she ended up writing fantasy novels. When she's not immersed in her own fictional universes, Emma can be found with her head in a book or wandering around the world in search of adventure.